Field of the Invention
A marching tenor drum assembly having a unitary multiple-drum mounting frame relates to musical instruments generally and in particular to a mounting assembly for a set of marching band tenor drums.
Discussion of the Prior Art
A marching tenor drum assembly requires interconnecting the drums in a strong stable configuration which can, in turn, be attached to and hung from a carrier. Each tenor drum comprises a shell the top opening of which is covered by a batter or top head. The perimeter of the top head is covered with a top rim or hoop which is held to the shell using tension rods. Each of the tension rods is attached to a lug casing firmly affixed to the side of the shell.
The conventional way to interconnect the drum set is to provide a support frame having dual vertically spaced apart support plates having scalloped forward and rear edges against which the drum shells fit with the lug casings interposed there between. The tension rods are fed through apertures in the top plate and into the lug casing and retaining bolt is fed through an aperture in the bottom plate and into the lug casing from beneath, such that tightening the tension rods and the retaining bolt secures the drum to the support frame.
While the above-described method for interconnecting a set of marching tenor drums works, the hardware required can be relatively heavy and burdensome to carry for extending periods of time, and the assembly and disassembly of the drum set can be tedious and cumbersome. There is, therefore, a need for a marching tenor drum assembly that is lighter and easier and quicker to assemble and break down.